The Way My Heart Beats
by OTH-SPN-Love
Summary: This isn't the first time she's caught him catching a peek at her, and it's not the first time he's caught her doing just the same. AU BRUCAS!
1. His name was Lucas Scott

**Chapter 1**

Her eyes find his for what seems to be the hundredth time that night. This isn't the first time she's caught him catching a peek at her, and it's not the first time he's caught her doing just the same. She's not sure what exactly it was that made her want to stare at him all night, but she couldn't keep her eyes off of him. Off of his messy blonde hair, which made it look like he had just gotten out of bed, and his deep blue eyes in which she could just drown completely.

His name was Lucas Scott. And he had stolen her heart. She wasn't sure when it happened and she wasn't even sure how it happened, but it did. At the time she didn't even know what they were. Were they friends? Were they lovers? Were they friends with benefits? Brooke had absolutely no idea. All she knew was that this boy had been able to capture and crush her heart all in one year, and she still hadn't recovered.

She liked to tell her friends and herself that she was over him, that she had moved on, but they all knew it was a lie. And so did she. She hated him for being able to move on, for forgetting her. It almost makes her nauseous when she sees Peyton Sawyer clinging at him once again, just like she's been doing ever since word came out that she and Lucas were no longer on speaking terms. According to Lucas they're not an item and they're "just friends" but Brooke had a hard time believing that.

A few hours had passed and Brooke had found herself a bit more intoxicated than she had intended to become when she first arrived at the party. Not able to keep her balance any longer, Brooke stumbled towards the couch and quickly plopped down on it. She was a bit surprised when she saw who she had plopped down next to, almost sobering up the moment she saw his face, his mere presence being enough to drain the alcohol from her system.

"Hey" was all she was able to get out. It was seemingly all he was able to get out too as she was only met with another "Hey".

He looked right at her and she could almost feel his eyes looking into her soul. She tried to sit up straight, not wanting to show any signs of weakness around him.

"So how've you been?" she says, this time more confidence in her voice.

"Good, good. You?" his voice trembles and a small smirk grows on her face as she relishes in the fact that she's able to make him nervous.

"I'm good," she says, smirking. "A little drunk, but good." she giggles a bit and a smile escapes his lips. "Actually, I'm really drunk, but who cares, right?" she waves her arm nonchalantly, chuckling at her pathetic attempt at making a joke.

He also chuckles slightly and leans in a bit closer, moving his mouth to her ear, "Wanna hear something funny? I'm kinda drunk, too." he starts to laugh and she quickly joins him, both of them enjoying the pathetic humour that comes with being drunk.

With this new information, she takes a second to examine his face and finally notices the redness in his eyes, redness that only appears when he's had a bottle or two. Silence then sets as she leans back on the couch, staring out in front of her. She can see Peyton laughing in the kitchen. Probably at some lame ass joke that wasn't even funny to begin with. She can't help the jealousy that ensues whenever she sees Peyton or hears her name, even though Lucas insists on them being just friends.

She doesn't know what's gotten into her either when she utters her next question, "So you and Peyton –"

"Just friends." he quickly interrupts. She merely nods and her eyes land on the curly blonde once more. The thought of him ever being with her sickens her, but who is she to say anything? He's not hers and she's not sure he ever was hers to begin with.

"This party's dull." he says, probably in an attempt to change the subject she thinks. She then looks at him and quirks an eyebrow, not even realizing what she's saying as she's saying it.

"Wanna go upstairs?"

She wasn't sure exactly when, but if she had to guess it was about halfway down the hall when they turned into a mess of sweaty, tangled bodies. His hands roaming through her hair, her hands roaming under his shirt, getting a feel at the muscular body underneath it. She feels her back slam against a door, his hands struggling to get to the doorknob as they're both too busy with their roaming tongues and their hands gripping at one another.

He's finally able to turn the doorknob and they stumble into the room and onto the bed. Clothes were quickly thrown on the floor as they found themselves tangled up in someone else's sheets.

Brooke didn't know what had gotten into her but in that moment she didn't care. She needed to feel him, to kiss him, be with him, and she didn't care that she wasn't actually with him at the moment cause at the moment, his taste on her tongue was enough for her to give in and not look back.

The next morning they both woke up to splitting headaches. Brooke tried her best to sit up but only ended up falling back on the bed and groaning in pain as her head hurt as if she had been stung by a giant bee. She looked at the figure next to her and wasn't surprised to see him doing the same thing. God, were they wasted.

She wasn't able to remember all of the night before, but the flashes that did enter her mind made her smirk a little, if only for a second. And then the realization set in. And from the look on his face, it wasn't just her who was starting to realize.

"Oh, fuck."

--x--

After a lot of swearing and a lot of denying, the truth had finally set in with both Brooke and Lucas. All sobered up now, Brooke couldn't understand what was going through her mind the night before, but then again, when it came to her relationship with Lucas Scott, Brooke didn't really understand much.

"So, um… last night was… good." she says as she sits on the edge of the bed, fully clothed and putting her pumps back on.

"Yeah, it was." he says. She turns her head to look at him over her shoulder and is surprised to see an actual genuine smile on his face. For a second she allows her stomach to flutter a bit at the sight of his gorgeous smile, but she quickly shakes it away, not wanting to go back to that place with him again.

"We should totally do this more often." she says as she gets off of the bed. She turns around, only to be met with a confused frown on Lucas' face and chuckles a bit at his ability to be so oblivious.

She then walks over to the side of the bed and sits down next to him, her naked shoulder brushing against his naked chest. She can see him visibly shiver and she smirks, knowing she's getting to him.

"Look, I know things didn't end that well between us, but… last night was really fun," she quirks an eyebrow and makes sure her voice is extra sensual as she says this. "You know, you and I, we make a pretty good team." she jokes and her heart beats a little faster when she sees him chuckle a bit at her little joke.

She leans forward a bit and rests her chin on her palm, looking him square in the eye. "So you know, when I'm in need, you supply and when you're in the mood, give me a call." Despite the little voice in her head that's screaming "What the fuck are you doing?!" Brooke tries to keep her voice as nonchalant as always, even though she knows she's getting herself into a big old pile of mess.

"So basically you wanna be friends with benefits?" He questions with a smirk on his face.

"Is that what they're calling it these days?" she jokes as she gets off of the bed and struts out of the bedroom. She curses herself the moment she takes the first step outside. What the hell was she thinking?! Not only did she have too many feelings for Lucas, still, to just be something casual with him, but she had been trying so hard to fight off that image that this made her feel like she had taken one step forward and three huge steps back.

"He probably thinks I'm going crazy. That or completely desperate." she thought as she made her way out of the house.

But what she didn't see were the sweaty palms he had when her shoulder brushed against his skin, or the way his heart rate went up everytime she gave him her trademark Brooke Davis smirk. And as Brooke wondered what the hell she got herself into, she didn't realize that Lucas Scott was already in very big trouble.


	2. Everything Is Forgotten

**Chapter 2**

It's been two days and he's seen no trace of her yet. The memory of that night is still fresh in his mind, though. The smell of her hair, the softness of her skin as he traced every curvy inch of her body. The memory was definitely fresh in Lucas' mind. He'd be lying though, if he said he didn't feel a shred of shame. Brooke Davis was never just an easy lay for him. Not just some kind of fling. It was the whole reason things never actually worked out between them. Because Brooke Davis wanted and needed to be loved in a way that he couldn't provide for her.

Just like many at Tree Hill High, Lucas had perceived as the brainless slut that her reputation made her out to be. That was until he had gotten to know the dimpled, raven haired beauty. He soon found out that this girl was far from what everyone believed her to be. She was the most warm, loving and beautiful person he had ever come to know. Brooke Davis had more love and passion inside of her then he had ever dared to realize. And she needed to share that with someone worthy, someone deserving. And he wasn't that guy.

As he walked down the halls, Lucas wondered if this whole friends with benefits thing was actually a good idea. He could never really be just friends with Brooke. Then again, they'd never really been more than friends either. So he guessed the deal wouldn't be too bad. This way he'd have some kind of excuse to be in the same space as her.

God, he sounded pathetic. Maybe it was the hormone driven, teenage boy inside of him speaking, but he definitely wouldn't mind doing that night over. Everything about it just felt so right, yet wrong at the same time. Like breaking the law, defying gravity, changing the tides. Okay, maybe that was a bit extreme, he thought, but honestly, he had never felt more extreme then when he was with her. Never felt more alive, or more fulfilled. Brooke Davis had cast her spell on him and so far no one had been able to break it.

"Lucas, are you even listening to me?"

The sound of the blonde haired girl's voice shook him out his thoughts. He looked to his side to see her staring at him, eyebrows raised and confusion and question evident in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, what were you saying?" he says, cause he honestly wasn't listening and he really has no idea what the girl was just saying to him.

"Here I am going on and on about how AC/DC totally owns Van Halen and you're totally spacing out."

Lucas chuckles and rolls his eyes a bit. Peyton Sawyer. His musical buddy. Lucas had never met a girl so much like him, that it kind of surprised him that he hadn't fallen for her instead of the brown haired vixen he lost his heart to. Sure, they hadn't been friends for that long, but in the time they had spent together, Lucas had grown very fond of the curly haired girl.

"So you still haven't told me where you disappeared to at the party."

They arrive at his locker and Lucas enters his locker code before opening it. Should he tell her? He's not obligated to tell her and he's not even sure it's any of her business. He did feel bad though about the way he ditched her at the party. He's sure she must've been really pissed at him that night.

Another reason he won't tell her is his little deal with Brooke. The whole friends with benefits thing she suggested. He likes to think he knows Brooke well enough to know that she probably doesn't want anyone knowing about it and especially not Peyton, a girl she hardly knows.

"Oh, and please don't tell me you ditched me for Brooke Davis that night." she rolls her eyes and gets that tone in her voice again. The same tone of voice she always gets when talking about Brooke. Judgy and condescending. It pisses him off.

Sure, he had told her some stuff about Brooke and what he had gone through with her, but he hadn't told her everything. And as much as he tries to convince her otherwise, Peyton still can't seem to get the image of Brooke Davis, cheer captain and most popular girl in school out of her mind. That's all she sees, Brooke Davis being the epitome of everything that Peyton Sawyer despises.

"Don't talk about her like that." he says, probably a bit more harsh than he intended to, but when he's met with another roll of her eyes, he doesn't really regret it. "And no, I didn't ditch you for her, I actually went out for a walk. And then I just found myself walking and walking and before I knew it, it was 8 o'clock in the morning, I was standing in front of my bedroom door and all I could think about was going to sleep." he says, hoping that would be excuse enough for her to drop it.

"Besides, I called you the day after to apologise so I don't know why you're bringing this up again."

"Fine, I'll drop it now. You happy?"

"Ecstatic!" he gives her playful grin and she chuckles and looks away. For a moment he swears he can see her cheeks turning a slight shade of red, but he quickly shrugs it off, thinking it's probably his big ego trying to be fed again. Peyton doesn't have those kinds of feelings for him. He knows that.

--x--

Brooke winces as she feels the french fry hit her face. It's the third time today Rachel's thrown something in Brooke's face, primarily because it's the third time today Brooke's been caught dozing off into her thoughts. Thoughts about a certain blonde boy she wished she could see again.

"God, Brooke, where the fuck is your head at?" the redhead asks, annoyed.

"Sorry. I'm just a little distracted today."

"Yeah, that much is obvious." Rachel scoffs and rolls her eyes.

Rachel Gatina, the girl Brooke can only describe as her best frenemy. To the rest of the student body, Brooke and Rachel's friendship wasn't really anything out of the ordinary. They were both insanely hot, both cheerleaders and the most popular girls in school, and they both seemed to thrive on attention from the guys. To the rest of the school, their friendship was just another typical one, based on having the same likes and dislikes.

To Brooke, having Rachel Gatina as a friend was much more complicated than that. Despite having many things in common, there were certain area's where they couldn't be more different. Where Brooke tended to sugar-coat not only her own emotions, but that of others too, Rachel went for the brutal honesty. Always knowing what to say when Brooke didn't wanna hear it. It drove her crazy sometimes. Cause Brooke didn't like to admit to other people being right, and when it came down to it, Rachel was always right.

"You're thinking about the party, aren't you?" Rachel says, matter of factly, and Brooke wonders why the redhead knows her so well. "Look, I know and you know that I know you got laid that night. And all jealousy aside, I'm really curious as to who got into you cause you've been dreaming away all day and frankly, it's starting to piss me off."

Brooke can't help but laugh. Sure, she would like to tell Rachel who got into her that night. In fact, she wouldn't mind reliving that whole night again. But, that night and who she spent it with was her dirty little secret to keep.

"One, I'd like to tell you who got into me, but I was so drunk that night I can hardly remember myself, and two, I'd also like to tell you the details but you know I don't kiss and tell." Brooke grins at her friend as the girl starts to laugh.

"Oh, bullshit, Davis. We've kissed and told far too many times for that excuse to work, but you know what? I'll drop it. For now." Brooke finds herself releasing a breath she didn't know she was holding in the first place. "But only because we have class right now, and unlike you, I don't pride myself on being tardy."

Brooke gives her a sarcastic smile as they get up and start walking towards the main entrance. Brooke hasn't been this excited to get to class in a long time. Mainly because it's her last class of the day, and it's with him.

--x--

She wasn't sure when she started zoning out – no wait, she was. It was right around the time Mr. Wilson started talking about the civil war. Again. She was pretty sure she had heard that story enough times to recite it quote by quote herself. So since Mr. Wilson's words weren't fascinating she decided to concentrate on something that was.

And that's how she found herself staring at the blonde haired boy sitting two rows in front of her. He was staring out the window and the sunlight streaming through the window and onto his blonde streaks made him look even more fascinating than usual. She didn't even notice the movement, but soon, Lucas found himself turning his head and catching Brooke in the act.

But she didn't move. She didn't move or tilt her head one bit. It was just that now, instead of staring at his blonde locks, she found herself staring into his deep blue eyes. Eyes she was sure she had drowned in before and in that moment made her feel like she wanted to drown in them all over again.

So they were. Blonde meeting brunette. Blue eyes meeting hazel eyes. A smirk formed itself on Brooke's face and she found herself tearing her eyes away from his gaze, only to concentrate on the note she had started to write.

She quickly folded up the little white piece of paper, this not going unnoticed by Lucas himself. She waited a few seconds as Mr. Wilson walked past her row, still going on with his story about the civil war, before stretching out her arm, note in hand, waiting for him to take it. He quickly snatched it away before anyone could notice and eagerly opened it, wanting to read what was inside.

"_What's your supply closet lookin' like?"_ a simple frown formed on Lucas' features and he turned his head to see the dimpled brunette staring at him with the most mischievous look on her face.

And it wasn't until after class was over and Lucas found himself getting dragged into the supply closet near the principal's office that it finally hit him.

But before he had the chance to do or say anything, glossy lips crashed onto his and all ability to form even the smallest words was gone. All he could do was run his hands through her silky soft hair as she opened her mouth a bit, allowing his tongue entrance so he could massage her own with it.

Her kisses are rough and to the point and he's smart enough to know that in that moment, she's in desperate need and it's his job to supply. So he pulls at the hem of her shirt, pulling it so far up she finally takes it off, revealing the lacy purple bra she's wearing underneath.

They're lips have now parted and as he studies her features for a moment, he sees nothing but pure and simple lust in her eyes. Her lips are red and swollen from the heavy make-out session and her hands are pushing against his chest, pushing his whole body towards the wall.

"So listen up, this is nothing more than a simple booty call, okay? I am not looking for sweet love or anything like that, I am horny and – "

"You're in need, so I supply, right?" he says with a boyish grin on his face.

Her lips instantly curl up in a mischievous smirk and she nods.

"Exactly."

There are many things Lucas could say to stop this. Many reasons why Lucas could protest and say that they're both better than this and that it shouldn't be like this between them. But when her lips crash onto his, everything is forgotten, and just like a few minutes ago, all ability to form even the smallest of words is gone.


	3. So Hard To Keep Focus

So, I have this problem where I easily lose inspiration for certain stories that I'm writing. I really don't know, but I just do. Which is why it always takes me so long to update my stories and, really, I apologize a hundred times for that! I hate it when authors take a lifetime to update their stories, but I find myself guilty of doing it every single time. I'll try to work on it and be more frequent, but I can't promise anything. So, for the people that are still interested in this story, here's a new chapter, I hope you enjoy it. Please R&R!!

**One Year ago.**

_He had called her, asking to meet her at the River Court about 10 minutes ago. So here she was, sitting on the bench, staring out into the water, waiting for him to show up. She had a feeling that this was the day. The day things would change between them._

_They had been going back and forth for a while now, pushing the boundaries between friendship and romance, but never being able to step across the line. They were in limbo, and she was sick of it. She wanted more. No, she needed more. And she was almost certain that he was willing to give her more. He just needed to say it._

_And it's not like Lucas was like all those other guys she used to sleep with or hang out with. He was different. He was genuine, and she knew she could trust him. They had been confiding in each other for so long now, that she was pretty certain that she could trust him with her heart, but still she held back, because if she trusted him with her heart completely, there'd be a bigger chance of it getting smashed into a million pieces._

_It was then that she heard the sound of his basketball hitting the concrete over and over again. A few seconds later, he was sitting right next to her in that grey hoodie he loved so much, playing with that orange ball he also seemed to love so much. After a few quick hello's, it fell silent. But it wasn't an awkward silence. No, their silences never seemed to be awkward, they were more… comfortable. And it was that comfort that kept her hanging on for so long even though were times she felt like they were going absolutely nowhere._

_From the first day they started hanging out, there had been an instant attraction and they both knew it. They both felt it. But she guessed they were both a bit too scared to act on it, so they settled for being good friends. Still, she kept wondering what was going on between them, still confused as to what exactly it was that they were._

_Finally, after having had enough of the sound of crickets chirping and cars passing by, she decided to break the silence._

_"So… you said you wanted to talk?" there was some kind of uncertainty in her voice. Uncertainty that usually wasn't there. She assumed it was caused by the fact that she was hoping his intentions for being there were the same as hers._

_"Yeah. I, uh… I wanted to talk about -- well, I wanted to talk about us."_

_A small smile formed on her lips. Now she was almost a hundred percent sure they were there for the same thing._

_"What about us?"_

_And that's when her hopes died. He turned to face her, and looked into her eyes, and there was no enthusiasm in his eyes. No hope, no love, just something that looked like instant regret. And that's when also instantly regretted getting her hopes up._

_"We've been, um… we've been dancing around each other for a while now, and I think we both know that it's got to end sometime."_

_She merely nodded, her breath hitched in her throat, terrified of what he was about to say next._

_"I really care about you, Brooke, you know that, right?"_

_Again, she merely nodded. She would not allow herself to get even more hope, even though it did make her feel a bit better when he said that he cared about her._

_"That's why I think it would be better if we just stayed friends. Like we are now. You know what I mean?"_

_Heart shattered, eyes stinging, she nodded. She was crushed. Apparently he didn't want the same things she did. In fact, he wanted the exact opposite. She guessed she should've seen it coming. But that didn't make it any less painful to hear._

_"Yeah, I know what you mean." she said in an almost inaudible voice, as she looked down, avoiding his gaze._

_She then quickly jumped off of the bench and started making her way towards her car as she felt that she wasn't going to be able to hold back the tears any longer._

_"Brooke?" his voice was confused. Almost a bit desperate, even. A frown had formed on his face as he turned around to watch her walk away with her back turned towards him._

_"Yeah, I'll call you later, Luke." And with those words, she hopped into her car and sped off into the night, finally allowing her tears to fall freely._

--x--

Present day.

She never called him. In fact, all contact had started to fade away after that one fateful day. He had called her several times, but she always ignored it. Even at school, when he tried to sit with her at lunch, or chased her down the hallway, she would always be one step and one lie ahead of it, making up any excuse she could to spend as little time with him as possible.

When they finally lost all contact, and he had asked her about it once at a basketball game, she chalked it up to them being too different and having different lives. But she knew the real reason was that she could never be just friends with Lucas Scott. And it killed her that he thought she could.

But even after they stopped talking, he was always in her thoughts. Something she also hated. It was like she wasn't allowed to forget him, even though she wished she could.

Thinking back on that day, she wasn't even sure why she was engaging in this whole friends with benefits thing with him. All it really did was give her some pleasure for a little while, and afterwards she'd beat herself over the head for getting involved with Lucas again. It didn't matter if it was supposedly casual, any kind of involvement with Lucas Scott was way too dangerous for her. She was going to have to end this thing with him before she got in way too deep.

--x--

He still remembered that day like it was yesterday. The day he let her walk out of his life. And he still regretted just like he did that day. He never really knew what it was like to really regret something until that day happened. He still doesn't know what got into him. Fear, he guessed. Fear of not being able to give her everything she needed. Everything she deserved. Fear of not being good enough for her, or worthy of her love.

He never knew where that fear came from. Cause if his whole friendship with her had proved anything, it was that she was more than willing to give him her heart. And in many ways, she already had. And he decided to stomp on it and tear it into a million pieces.

"Great job, Luke." he muttered sarcastically under his breath to no one but himself. He then bounced the ball onto the concrete before shooting it into the hoop and scoring.

There he was again. At the "scene of crime" as he liked to call it. Visiting that court had never been the same after that day. Before, it was the one place where he felt safe. The one place where he felt completely understood and in his element. Now, all he felt from that place was guilt and shame.

"Nice shot."

He then turned around to see his curly haired friend walking towards him. He almost wanted her to get back in the car and meet him someplace else. He didn't feel like being there with anyone else but himself.

"Thanks." he said while letting out a small chuckle. 'What are you doing here?"

"Oh, well, I called your cell phone several times and when none of my calls got answered, I figured you were here, shooting hoops. As always."

He chuckled a bit, amused by the fact that one didn't even have to know him so well to know that he spent almost all of his time on that river court. He then jogged over to the bench, where his cell phone was lying, hidden in his grey hoodie.

"So what was so important that you had to call me…" it was then that he took his cell phone out and decided to look at the number of times she called him. "Wow, 20 times." he said, his eyebrows lifted in fake shock.

"Shut up! It was 4 times, don't flatter yourself too much." she said as she hit him on the shoulder.

"I'm just messing with you." he chuckled. "No, but seriously, what was so important?"

"This was." she held up two tickets, a big smile forming on her face.

Lucas then frowned a bit, a bit oblivious as to what the tickets were for.

"It's two tickets to the Jimmy Eat World concert, you idiot!"

"Oh!" he then snatched one out of her hand and examined it.

"I told you I'd get us tickets!"

"Oh, right, I forgot about that."

Her mouth then formed an "o" and her eyes bulged a bit as she feigned shock. "You forgot? How could you forget about this concert, I've been going on and on about it for weeks."

"Yeah, maybe that's why I pushed it out of my mind, because I've had to endure talking about it for almost a month now."

He winced as he received another punch to his shoulder. Rubbing the sore spot she just gave him, he turned to look at her. "You know, it does hurt when you do that."

"Aw, you'll get over it." she playfully shrugged and then started walking towards her car. She turned around, walking backwards to her car so she could face him. "So, we're definitely on for Friday?"

"Yeah, sure. You didn't get the tickets for nothing, right?"

"Alright!" she exclaimed enthusiastically. "I'll call you later."

And with those words, she got into her car and drove off and Lucas immediately felt a sting in his heart. He still remembered the last time those words were said to him right on this court. He remembered it all too clearly.

--x--

She heard the little bell ring as she walked through the door and made her way over to the counter, where her friend, Haley James, was busy serving up customers. She sat down on one of the stools and smiled as Haley immediately noticed her and walked over towards her.

"Hey, Tigger, what are you doing here?"

"I had this sudden urge for coffee."

Haley cocked an eyebrow, obviously not believing her lie. It was funny how Haley, a girl she hardly even knew a year ago, knew her so well now. She guessed she had Lucas to thank for that. By the time she had started hanging out so much with Lucas, Haley, Lucas' best friend since childhood, had also become a permanent fixture in her life.

For a while she was afraid she would also lose Haley in addition to losing her friendship with Lucas, but Haley had made it very clear that she was there for Brooke no matter what. And for that, Brooke was more than grateful.

It amazed her how Haley had managed to stay friends with both Lucas and Brooke during this whole thing.

"You had a sudden urge for coffee?"

"Mmm-hmm." Brooke nodded, praying that she could be able to convince Haley.

" Yeah, I'm not buying it."

She sighed, rolling her eyes at how she couldn't even get one little lie past her friend.

Haley then leaned against the counter, her curiosity peaking.

"Are you… are you here for Lucas?" she said, realization suddenly dawning on her.

Brooke stayed silent, which was answer enough for Haley.

"Oh, my God! When did you two start talking again? I mean, Luke didn't tell me anything and you've obviously been keeping something from me -- "

"We're not keeping anything from you." Brooke interrupted. "And we're not talking again, either. At least, not really."

"But…?" Haley said, waving her hand in a gesture that made clear to Brooke she was waiting for an answer.

"But, we were both at Shelby Jackson's party last weekend and Rachel ditched me so he gave me a ride home, and I forgot my jacket in his car."

"Hmm." Haley gave her a look as if she was contemplating believing her or not. "So that's what Lucas ditched Peyton for that night."

"What?" she said, happy that Haley believed her lie, but confused about what Haley just said.

"Yeah, Peyton told me Lucas totally ditched her that night, but she didn't know for what. Now I do." Haley smirked a bit while saying this, obviously thinking more had happened between Lucas and Brooke. And she wasn't completely off track.

Now it was Brooke's turn to cock an eyebrow. "Peyton told you? So, what? Now your friends with her?" Brooke made no secret of her dislike of the blonde one.

"Well, not friends-friends." Haley shrugged. "But she's been hanging out here a lot ever since she and Lucas started hanging out, so, she tells me stuff sometimes, you know."

Brooke merely nodded.

Haley then got an amused look on her face. "What? Are you jealous?"

"Oh, don't make me laugh." Brooke faked a chuckle, trying to get another lie past Haley. "I just don't like it when people I don't like hang out with people I do like."

"Oh, you're just jealous. But, no worries, Tigger. She's not my type." Haley said as she threw her cleaning towel over her shoulder and walked away to go do her job again.

"Ew." Brooke laughed a bit at Haley's little joke. "Oh, and will you tell Lucas I stopped by!" she yelled over the counter.

"Will do!" Haley yelled back as she poured some coffee into a customer's cup.

--x--

After leaving the café, she had contemplated just calling Lucas, but ultimately she decided against it. So she just got in her car and started making her way home, when she heard her phone beep, signalling that she had just gotten a text message. Searching for her phone in her purse, which was rested on the passenger seat, while also trying to keep her eyes on the road, Brooke immediately wondered if it was Lucas texting her.

Lucky for her, she was right. As she stopped at the stop sign, she quickly read the message Lucas sent her.

"_Come over to my house. I wanna see you."_

It was short, to the point, so not what she was used to from Lucas. But lucky for him, the light had just turned green, and she was very close to his home.

--x--

Making her way up the steps and towards his bedroom door, she figured this would be the perfect time to put an end to their little tryst. Haley had probably told him she stopped by at the café looking for him, which is probably why he texted her in the first place.

As she knocked on the door, she took a deep breath, building up all her strength so she could face him.

A few seconds later, he opened the door with this cute boyish grin on his face that just caused her heart to melt. But she quickly dismissed the feeling as she was there for a reason.

"Hey."

"Hi." he was smiling. No, he was grinning. He looked like he was excited for something, but Brooke was a bit blind to it as she focused on her mission.

He opened the door a bit further, allowing her entrance to his room. He then closed the door and turned around to face her.

"So I guess Haley told you --"

All of a sudden she was interrupted by his lips crashing onto hers, which took her completely by surprise. A part of her wanted to pull away but the temptation was too much. She gave into him, kissing him back full force. But then she started to feel his hands on her skin as he started to rub her back and tug at her shirt slightly. She realized she was forgetting what she was there for in the first place.

"Wait, wait, wait, Luke…" she was out of breath. Completely out of breath as she pulled away.

Looking down, she took a deep breath. "Luke, that's not why I'm here."

"Oh." he seemed genuinely confused. "Well, than, why are you here?"

"I thought -- I thought Haley told you." she was stammering. And still avoiding his gaze.

"Haley told me what? What are you talking about, Brooke."

"I, uh… I stopped by the café today, I was, um… I was looking for you."

God, she was nervous. And hot. And all she really wanted was to feel the touch of his hands on her skin again. But, she had to focus.

"Brooke, is something wrong?" concern immediately filled his voice and she had no choice but to look up at him.

"No! No, nothing's wrong, I just…" she bit her lip as she struggled to say the words. God, why did he have to make it so hard for her.

"Did you wanna talk to me about something?"

"No, no, I didn't… I didn't stop by because I wanted to talk." and with those words, she instantly transformed and started toying around with his belt, obviously trying to get it loose. Looking back up at him, she changed her tone of voice so she sounded a bit seductive.

"I was actually hoping you were working, so we could sneak into the back and have some fun."

His lips instantly curled into a sly grin as she inched her way closer to his mouth, making it that their lips almost touched.

"But I guess here will have to do."

It was then that they crashed into one another, their lips meeting and all thoughts of talking and ending things just flew out of the window.

They stumbled over towards his bed and fell down on it, Brooke's giggle echoing in the room.


End file.
